Schwarzenegger Touts Immigrants

U.S. & LATIN AMERICA

February 23, 2004|By John M. Broder, the New York Times

LOS ANGELES -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has been governor of California for just 98 days, may already be eyeing a bigger stage than Sacramento.

Schwarzenegger, who immigrated to the United States from Austria 35 years ago, Sunday endorsed an amendment to the Constitution to allow immigrants who have been American citizens for at least 20 years to run for president. Schwarzenegger became a citizen in 1983.

Making his Sunday morning talk-show debut on the NBC program Meet the Press, Schwarzenegger was asked whether he would support changing the Constitution to allow naturalized citizens to serve as president. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, has proposed such an amendment.

"Yeah, I should look at that," Schwarzenegger said with a smile. "It sounds really good."

He asked the program's host, Tim Russert, "Are you going to help me?"

Schwarzenegger, a Republican who won the governorship in a recall election last fall, quickly dismissed any interest in higher office.

"I haven't thought about that at all," the governor said. "I tell you, I'm so busy with our state. You know California is a big state, a very complicated state. Right now I concentrate just on that."

Nevertheless, he said that Hatch's proposed amendment was "absolutely" a good idea, because it recognizes the contributions that immigrants make to the nation's political and commercial life.

"Look at the kind of contribution that people like Henry Kissinger have made, Madeleine Albright," he said, referring to two former secretaries of state who emigrated from Europe.